Flaws Are Societies Way to Make You Change

How many times have you thought that you’d be more attractive to your partner if you lost some weight? How about if you got rid of the bags under your eyes? Or the gap in your teeth? Or the cellulite on your thighs? Well, I’m here to tell you that misogynistic body policing you are taking part in is crap designed by corporations in order to have you alter yourself for their profit.

What is a ‘flaw’?

Typically, characteristics labeled “flaws” are completely natural occurrences in our bodies (See; body hair, cellulite, teeth gaps.) which, if flipped on our male counterparts rarely, if ever take a negative undertone. These “flaws” or “issues” or “problem areas” that are deemed as detractors to our beauty are built on the back being able to sell you a product so you can conform and look like everybody else.

The photoshopped, retouched and unrealistic rat race of fashion magazines and television is designed in order to make you feel unfulfilled- and of course to sell you more things. The negative connotations you’ve been taught to have about anything that doesn’t look like Heidi Klum is total BS. You don’t require new things, you don’t require to alter your body. It’s all just a poorly constructed attempt at controlling you so that you behave and look just like everybody else. (Which by all means girl, stand out!)

These “imperfections” might not even by physical, for instance, if you ask your boss at work for a raise in a concise, practical manner you could be labeled a bitch or money hungry, where your male counterparts could do the same and receive no criticism. The deck is stacked lopsided, that’s for sure.

Unsure what I’m talking about or where to go from here?

Here are a couple of exercises you can do to help think critically about the information presented to you

When you’re at the checkout line and a magazine’s headliner reads, “Get rid of cellulite fast!” and you start daydreaming about smooth, bump free legs. Think about if that is practical or realistic for your body.

When a woman’s attractiveness is denounced on TV because she has a gap in her teeth or has gained a couple of pounds, think about whether or not that changed if she is attractive?

On social media when your friends from high school are posting about their recent cosmetic surgery consider the long-term effects and whether or not that seems attractive to you because have been told it is attractive

And finally.. Give yourself a break! Be kind, be fresh and be yourself.